The role of social presence and trust on customer loyalty

Purpose: E-commerce and social media technologies can significantly benefit the food and beverage industry by reducing costs, streamlining supply activities, and, most importantly, engaging users in active interaction and enhancing social presence. This research aims to propose a model to examine the role of trust and social presence on loyalty in the food and beverage industry. Moreover, the mediating role of trust is the link between social presence and loyalty examined in this study. Design/methodology/approach: A survey has been conducted to examine the structural model. The research model is tested using structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings: The result indicated the effect of Social presence and Trust in social media on Customer loyalty in the context of online shopping. Our finding contributes remarkable insights into the food and beverage industry, particularly in the COVID-19 era, as more consumers buy through e-commerce platforms. Originality/value: This study expands the understanding of the role of the managers of social commerce websites in maintaining customer loyalty. Hence, the social commerce site managers can use this finding to develop strategies for building customer trust and, ultimately, customer loyalty. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Understanding the motivational mechanisms behind the usage frequency of ride-hailing during COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: This study aimed to explore the factors influencing people's utilization of ride-hailing services, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A two-stage survey was conducted among the same group of passengers pre and post COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a total of 670 valid samples. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was applied to the data, followed by the ordered probit and ordered logit models to identify the motivational factors behind passengers' frequency of using ride-hailing. Results: The findings indicated that trust and loyalty were the most influential factors in determining passengers' frequency of using ride-hailing services. However, passengers' perception of the COVID-19 pandemic did not have a significant effect on the frequency of using ride-hailing. Discussion: This research provides empirical evidence and policy implications for understanding people's usage of the ride-hailing services in the context of public-health emergency.

Hotel branding and COVID-19 managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facilities: consequences and lessons learnt

Purpose: This study aims to understand the consequences of the decision by some hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic to contract their accommodation to be used as managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facilities. Specifically, this study aims to understand the impact of this decision in terms of corporate brand image, brand loyalty, negative word of mouth (NWOM) and purchase intention. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected through a quasi-experimental research design and was analysed through a t-test. Findings: This study hypothesises that the use of a hotel brand as a COVID-19 MIQ facility will be detrimental to its corporate brand image because of the expectation disconfirmation theory and attribution theory, thus reducing brand loyalty and increasing NWOM. The result supports the hypotheses. Research limitations/implications: This study does not factor in a time period for the observed effects. While the results indicate that hotels used for MIQ purposes have reduced corporate brand image, brand loyalty and purchase intention, this study does not establish the duration of the damage. Originality/value: This study provides insight into consumers' perceptions of hotel brands that served as COVID-19 MIQ facilities. The originality lies in the discovery that the decision by hoteliers to opt to use their facilities for COVID-19 MIQ facilities was detrimental to corporate brand image and brand loyalty. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Robot-delivered tourism and hospitality services: How to evaluate the impact of health and safety considerations on visitors' satisfaction and loyalty?

Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, visitors' worries about health and safety in tourist destinations have become paramount. Consequently, this research aims to evaluate the impact of health and safety considerations on visitors' satisfaction. It also examines the influence of health consciousness and satisfaction on visitors' willingness toward robot-delivered tourism and hospitality services usage and the impact of destination healthcare system and satisfaction on loyalty intentions. Applying a quantitative-based methodology, 650 responses were collected from domestic tourists visiting Egyptian tourism destinations using multiple non-probability sampling techniques. Using PLS-SEM, the results articulated that emotional well-being, perceived safety, and perceived green image positively impacted visitors' satisfaction, which in turn, positively affected their willingness toward service robot's usage and loyalty. Tourists' health consciousness also positively affected their satisfaction and intentions to use robot-delivered services. Additionally, destination healthcare system significantly influenced visitors' satisfaction and loyalty intentions. Theoretical and managerial contributions as well as future research are outlined.

Co-creative service design for online businesses in post-COVID-19

Purpose: This study aims to explore the customers' behaviour towards online shopping during COVID-19 in a Muslim country and proposes a co-creative service design for online businesses (webstore) in the post-COVID-19 era. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a qualitative design for collecting the data where in-depth interviews from 18 customers were conducted following the qualitative design protocol. Due to the limitation of physical distancing, the interviews were conducted online using Microsoft teams. Findings: Based on the findings, new potential services are proposed for webstores for customer engagement, the need for expansion of product lines and safety measures for customers and staff during and post-COVID-19 era. Following the findings, a co-creative service design is proposed for webstores to revamp the business during and post-COVID-19. Originality/value: The study is unique because it has developed various unique strategic factors essential for revamping online businesses for better growth in post-COVID-19. The proposed new co-creative service design model for an online service provider is expected to create customers engagement and loyalty during and in post-COVID-19. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

A configurational approach to understanding trust in rural tourism accommodation during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis

Purpose: Consumer trust plays a key role in the development and maintenance of long-term relationships in the tourism sector. This study aims to examine the antecedents of trust in the local accommodation sector, which faced a disruptive period due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also addresses the trust–loyalty relationship. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was administered to a sample of rural accommodation tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed-method approach was used to analyse data;in particular, a PLS-SEM approach was used, followed by a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Findings: This study confirms and reinforces the importance of a positive influence of affective evaluation, reputation, perceived security and the destination image on perceived trust. It also demonstrates the impact of trust on loyalty. Using fsQCA, it was found that perceived security is a necessary condition to achieve perceived trust. However, there are multiple paths to achieving high trust. Research limitations/implications: This article provides a practical and theoretical contribution to this phenomenon during the pandemic crisis. This study concludes that implementing specific measures to increase perceived security (e.g. clean and safe seal) was critical to increase trust and loyalty. Practical implications: Although the decrease in visits has had a significant impact on economic activities, the nature of the context, in particular the rural context, proved that the combination of agricultural activities with tourism services offering also revealed to be a promising complementary strategy to help owners and minimize the lack of visitors. Originality/value: This study is one of the earliest to understand trust and its antecedents and trust loyalty during the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Resident loyalty formation for the survival of African-ethnic restaurants during COVID-19: the adaptive capabilities logic

Purpose: This qualitative research aimed to explore the relationship between adaptive dynamic capabilities and resident loyalty formation among African-ethnic restaurants (AERs) during COVID-19 in East Africa. Design/methodology/approach: Anchored on the dynamic capabilities perspective, the study uses eight case studies to obtain data based on restaurant owner-managers' lived experiences. Findings: The paper presents six factors: (1) sensory quality promise, (2) service personalization declaration, (3) openness of technology adoption, (4) healthy food and safety assurance, (5) authenticity pledge and (6) diversity provision as prerequisites for resident loyalty formation. The findings suggest adaptive capacity as an appropriate alternative for stimulating resident loyalty formation during difficult times. Practical implications: The findings help managers in formulating strategies that facilitate residents' display of willingness to revisit and/or recommend others. The local restaurants can now keep modifying and adjusting their practices and processes so as to exhibit the ability to handle customer unique demands during difficult times. Originality/value: Through this work, a model of adaptive capabilities as enablers of resident loyalty formation is proposed, hence contributing the existing body of knowledge. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

A qualitative comparative study of Japanese fashion brands via profiling young shoppers

Purpose: This study adopts complexity theory to explore behavioural brand loyalty (BBL) development by investigating brand perceptional components and loyalty programs (LPs) in the Japanese fashion market through a qualitative comparative study. The authors address two research questions: (1) Under the potential influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, do brand perceptions and LPs contribute to young generation's BBL toward three types of brands with different scales of store numbers and prices? (2) If so, under what conditions do these factors positively influence BBL? Design/methodology/approach: This study considers the effects of complex factors and conditions on BBL formation by testing the asymmetric relationships that exist among brand perceptions, LPs, and BBL via fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The authors surveyed 751 Japanese consumers (aged 18–25 years) who had chosen 26 Japanese fashion brands as their favourites and participated in the LPs of those brands. The use of fsQCA supplements the existing research by explaining how causal variables affect BBL both positively and negatively. Findings: The results (1) present multiple causal solutions in predicting high BBL by profiling young shoppers based on their psychological and behavioural characteristics;(2) show how causal factors and consumer characteristics work differently when developing BBL for different types of brands. The findings established that brand perceptions and LPs could affect BBL positively and negatively, depending on the characteristics of fashion brands and shoppers. Originality/value: This study offers theoretical and practical implications in two main aspects: (1) the authors adopted a mixed methodology with quantitative and qualitative analysis to propose an integrated model that connects perceptional brand loyalty and LPs with BBL, based on three types of Japanese fashion brands;(2) the results offer multiple solutions for predicting the high level of BBL by profiling shoppers' characteristics, considering the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Exploring the Influence of Touch Points on Tourist Experiences at Crisis Impacted Destinations

Customer journeys in tourism are becoming more complex, often including multiple touch points that can influence expectations, experiences, and travel behaviors. The management of these different interactions is further complicated if tourist destinations face natural or man-made crises (e.g., financial crises, COVID-19). The current research takes a comprehensive look at how negative word-of-mouth (WOM) shapes pre-consumption expectations that drive actual tourist experiences and subsequent satisfaction behaviors. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), findings from 188 tourists confirm the influence of uncontrollable, negative WOM on destination image. Yet an actual, positive experience negates these negative pre-trip influences. Tourism managers are rewarded with satisfied and loyal tourists in response to creating positive experiences even at crisis impacted destinations. © The Author(s) 2021.

Behavior of Russian Premium Fashion Consumers and Designers after the COVID-19 Pandemic and International Sanctions

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the emerging changes in Russian premium fashion brand consumers' behavior on the eve of the COVID-19 pandemic and international economic sanctions, the impact on foreign fashion brands' decisions to leave the market, and the willingness of some Russian fashion designers to scale their businesses and occupy vacated market niches. This problem had arisen for the first time;the situation is unexpected and unique. Therefore, the researchers combined multiple methods of data collection: (1) Observation;(2) Netnography to identify emerging changes in Russian consumers' behavior, which increases the objectivity of the data obtained since personal contact was excluded;and (3) Expert in-depth interviews to assess the situation by Russian fashion designers. QDA and qualitative content analysis were used. Fashion designers in Russia percept the situation as an opportunity for business development, similar to the situation that occurred in Iran, but entrepreneurs understand the market risks and expect more serious measures of state support for business. The results may inform state policymakers and stakeholders about the stated changes in consumer behavior and the capabilities of Russian entrepreneurs to scale the business, which will help identify possible growth vectors for domestic fashion designers in the premium sector. © 2023 Russian Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Exploring relationship among semiotic product packaging, brand experience dimensions, brand trust and purchase intentions in an Asian emerging market

Purpose>Over recent years, brand semiotics have been gaining the marketing practitioners' attention for designing their brand strategy. Hence, to address this gap, the current study investigates the effect of semiotic product packaging on brand experience dimensions, brand trust and purchase intent of reputed major brands of fast-moving consumer good (FMCG) products.Design/methodology/approach>The data for this study were collected by administering a questionnaire-based survey from 254 respondents from the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) of India, using systematic sampling. Structural equation modeling has been used to test the conceptual model and examine the hypotheses developed in the study.Findings>The results present evidence of the growing influence of semiotic product packaging upon consumer brand trust and purchase intentions. The study suggests that brand semiotics positively influence customer brand experience, brand trust and purchase intention of FMCG products.Practical implications>The research findings will benefit FMCG companies to identify how to apply semiotics in packaging to improve consumers' brand experience and influence intent to purchase.Originality/value>Research in brand semiotics on product packaging is limited, as most prior studies focus on brand semiotics in advertising, product design improvement and retail design. The present study has investigated the impact of semiotics on brand experience dimensions in product packaging, which is emerging as a critical concern for the FMCG sector particularly in the post-COVID period.

Influence of Corporate Governance on Firm Value: Sequential Mediating Role of CSR and Organizational Identification

Corporate Governance (CoGv) has gained significance with an increase in the number of enterprises and has evolved with several prescriptions from scholars and broader audiences (shareholders and stakeholders). Another reason for this growing significance can be attributed to the pressing social and environmental concerns that these enterprises share. This study focuses on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in India. It proposes a conceptual model and attempts to provide insight into the role of corporate governance in enhancing Firm Value (FV). Some studies have established a positive relationship between these two variables. However, this relationship can be further enhanced by variables such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Organizational Identification (OI). The proposed conceptual model has been empirically tested to check whether these variables have contributed to enhancing FV. The study uses Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) along with SmartPLS. It provides empirical evidence on the mediating influence of CSR and OI and the mediating effect between CoGv and FV. Based on the findings, theoretical and managerial implications are also proposed.

Tangible and intangible hotel in-room amenities in shaping customer experience and the consequences in the with-corona era

Purpose>This study aims to draw on customer experience theory to shed light on how hotel in-room amenities foster customer experience, which continues to form brand attitude and loyalty before and during the pandemic. Also, this study assesses the impact of the pandemic in the relationships among proposed constructs on the basis of risk perception theory.Design/methodology/approach>A quantitative approach was deployed using a total of 379 responses, for evaluating the measurement model through confirmatory factor analysis and testing proposed hypotheses through structural equation modeling.Findings>The findings provide initial support for the predictions, except for the influence of brand attitude on brand loyalty before the pandemic. Particularly, the analysis results observe that the effect of tangible amenities on customer experience was stronger before the COVID-19, whereas the impact of intangible amenities on customer experience is greater during the pandemic. Furthermore, the results validate the significant moderating influence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the path between customer experience and brand loyalty.Practical implications>This present study guides hotel professionals to be more effective in the management of appropriate in-room amenity to create a satisfactory customer experience, which contributes to brand loyalty in the with-corona era.Originality/value>The study differs from earlier studies in that it investigates how the pandemic changes the role of hotel in-room amenities on customer experience, which, in turn, increases brand attitude and brand loyalty for the first time.

Exploring the Effect of Social Media Marketing and Destination image on Destination Loyalty in Covid-19 Times: Sequential Mediating Role of Brand Love and Brand Loyalty

The basic concern for the tourism sector is to retain customers during Covid-19 time. In this regard, it is important to examine the role of social media marketing and destination to develop brand love and loyalty which lead to sustainable competitive advantage. This study used a cross-sectional research design and a quantitative approach to collect data from the respondents. The data were collected from the customers of hotels in UAE. 450 respondents were approached by convenience sampling. The response rate of this study was 55.9 percent. For the analysis of the collected data, PLS-SEM was used. The results of the study support the proposed hypotheses. Besides, the mediating role of brand love and loyalty was also supported. © 2022 IEEE.

Social CRM: linking the dots of customer service and customer loyalty during COVID-19 in the hotel industry

PurposeSocial customer relationship management (SCRM) is an evolving strategy gaining prominence in the hotel industry by cultivating new, improved relationships through engaging customers on social media (SM) platforms. Accordingly, this study aims to assess the effect of SCRM on customer service and customer loyalty (CL) in the hotel industry. This study also explores the moderating effect of COVID-19 (EC) on the relationship between (customer engagement [CE] and improved customer service [ICS]) and (CE and trust [TR]).Design/methodology/approachThis study develops and tests the SCRM model using structural equation modelling on a sample size of 214 responses. The questionnaire was administered online to the customers of five preselected global hotel chains. The criteria for selecting the participants were that they must have tweeted from their Twitter handle by using # (hashtag) hotel name to resolve any customer service issues.FindingsResults denote that CE significantly impacts ICS. CE was also found to exert a substantial effect on TR. The moderating EC was also found to be significant, but the effect was weak. Although the customers were extensively impacted by the pandemic and were initially hesitant to visit hotels, SCRM proved to be a powerful tool to gain back customer trust (CT) and develop CL by upsurging the shadows of COVID-19.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that viable enforcement of the SCRM system can assist in real-time monitoring and tracking of customers' activities. This can develop a more profound connection with customers through CE which can boost the co-innovation process.Originality/valueThis study denotes a pioneer attempt to investigate the relationships between SCRM, CE, CT, ICS, CL and COVID-19 in the same framework in a SM context.

Corporate social responsibility and customer loyalty during the Covid-19 pandemic: evidence from pharmacy practice

Purpose>In recent years, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has taken on a more prominent role in both large and small businesses because of its significant impact on various aspects of business performance. To date, a growing body of literature has demonstrated the mechanisms whereby CSR practices affect organizational outcomes;however, there has been little research examining how CSR practices contribute to customer loyalty within the pharmacy context. As such, this study aims to explore how CSR practices influence the loyalty of pharmacy customers, particularly in relation to the mediatory effects of customer-company identification (CCI) and customer trust.Design/methodology/approach>A survey questionnaire was developed and administered to collect the required data from the pharmacy context. The resultant data were subjected to exploratory factor analysis to identify the scale dimensions, followed by multiple regression analysis to test the hypotheses.Findings>Analysis of the results (n = 528) revealed that perceived CSR indirectly impacts loyalty through the mediatory effects of trust and CCI. All hypothesized effects were also confirmed via empirical testing.Originality/value>The findings of this research suggest that not only are CSR activities responsive to societal concerns, but they can also promote customer identification with pharmacies and strengthen customer trust, which can, in turn, lead to long-term customer loyalty.

Independence, trust, and loyalty. The county governor's coordination of public and voluntary resources in crises in Norway

Collaboration and communication are crucial factors in handling crises, whether the crisis is a serious landslide requiring emergency response for several days or a pandemic lasting for months. This article describes and analyses the governmental relationship with the local communities in critical situations with the COVID‐19 pandemic as a case. In the Norwegian administrative organisation, the county governors have a defined role in their emergency responsibilities, including being chairpersons of the County Emergency Council (CEC). The Norwegian emergency system is organised with samvirke (translated to English as coordinated cooperation) as a core constituency. In this system, voluntary organisations have a formalised role in taking an active part in crisis handling. The inclusion of voluntary organisations in the CEC, as seen by the county governors, is used as a case study. The challenges of collaboration can be analysed using the terms independence, trust, and loyalty. Data are collected from governing documents and interviews with the county governors. The main factor in successful coordination is the governors' ability to support the municipalities and the local communities. They must balance between wants of independence and state control. The art of this balancing act is the topic of this article.